


Hazy

by NoWindows



Series: Parallel Processing [1]
Category: Just Shapes & Beats (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon, a lot of character interpretations, and now they're just baby, everyone uses they/them pronouns because shapes don't need gender, humanoid au, kat is literally just a cat ears joke, tldr blixer wakes up in their very first form with no memory of what they did, tristan is named after tristam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-16 12:23:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21270983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoWindows/pseuds/NoWindows
Summary: ... what happened? Why does their head hurt? Why does this tree feel so scary... and why does this blue square look so upset?





	1. Chapter 1

The first thing that registered was pain. A stabbing pain raging all over, but their head worst of all. They wanted to clutch their head, but their arm was just too heavy, so they gave up and stayed on their back, whimpering slightly.

The second thing that registered was light. A weird bright light assaulted their eyes when they tried to crack them open, but it was still perceptible even when they were closed. They weren’t awake enough to tell apart colors, but just a moment’s glimpse was enough to tell them it was blue.

The third thing that registered was voices. They blurred together, forming nothing they could parse into separate words, but they could _ swear _ they'd heard the voices somewhere before, and somehow, that made them even sicker to their stomach than they already were.

What… what happened…?

One of the voices piped up again, and it took them several seconds to realize it was directed at them. All they could make themself give in response to whatever was said was a long groan as they finally found the strength to at least put a hand over their eyes to block out some of the light.

_ “... should just…” _

_ “... don’t seem...” _

_ “But they…” _

Fragments were coming through, now, but still nothing they could piece together. One more long groan escaped them before they finally positioned their hand to push themself up, which they took a few seconds to finally do.

“Oh, you’re up now…” Finally, something came out as a full sentence, though their eyes were still adjusting to the light. They only gave an acknowledging whine, as they squeezed their eyes shut and wracked their brain for answers, trying to figure out where they were, why they couldn’t remember a thing.

Everything came up blank.

“Are, uh... are you.... okay?”

Slowly, their eyes cracked open again. With a squint and a tilt of the head, they looked ahead for a few more seconds, until things finally started resolving into a coherent appearance- and they gasped in horror.

They weren’t sure why. They could swear they didn’t know either of them, this large, blue cube with a gentle face and _ two triangles on their head like cat ears- _ this smaller, also blue square with _ faint cracks running through them-- _

They started to hyperventilate slightly, backing away and ignoring the others’ confused noises as their gaze flickered up. Their eyes widened as a visceral memory came to them- _ a tree._ Fear pulsed through them, intense enough to numb the pain as they scrambled to their feet and made a run for it, openly sobbing.

So many questions were buzzing through their mind, so many fragments of what came so close to being memories, but every time they reached for one, it slipped away like sand through one’s fingers.

They could see one thing, though, consuming their mind, enough for it to cloud their vision.

Pink.

It was pink.

Everything was pink.

Pink. _ Pink. _ ** _Pink. _ **

Oh god, it was too much-

…

When they came to again, it was to the same voice from before that they tied to the blue cube, and they couldn’t help themself from flinching. 

“Oh, thank goodness you’re awake! Are you okay, little one?”

A pause, before they weakly nodded. They looked up quickly, long enough to see the cube glance at the clearly uncertain square, before the stabbing feeling came back and they had to look away.

“You… Do you remember anything?”

They shook their head.

“I see... “ The cube hesitated for another moment. “How far back _ can _ you remember…?”

They opened their mouth to answer, to say they couldn’t remember _ anything, _ not even their own name, but nothing came out. Their voice just froze up before it could even come out, no matter how hard they tried. Oh god, the cube will be mad, won’t they? They started hyperventilating again, hands moving to a tight grip on their dress-

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” the cube piped up. “So you can’t talk, huh? That’s okay!”

They overheard the square muttering something under their breath, followed by the cube turning away to whisper-shout at them, and it only sent another jolt of anxiety through them.

“Just- just shut up, Tristan.”

They stiffened again at hearing the square’s name, which the cube noticed.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright," they reassured, "we’re not going to hurt you. They’re... a little uptight, but they mean well, I… I promise.”

They nodded slowly, not really believing it, but not wanting to drive themself crazy either.

“Um…” The cube wasn’t really sure what to say, so they just said the first thing that came to their mind. “Do you... remember your name?” They couldn’t help cursing themself under their breath, feeling like that was a stupid question, but, to their surprise, what they got in response was a shake of the head.

Hmm… The cube thought for a moment. Using the <strike>monster’s</strike> little grey plant’s real name would probably be a bad idea for everyone involved- it might remind them of what happened, and who knows what would happen from there, and even if it didn’t, it’d surely dredge up some bad memories for Tristan.

“...What do you think of the name Grey?”


	2. Chapter 2

Tristan wasn’t sure what to think.

That "little grey plant", that  _ damn _ monster that tortured their friends and ruined their life, just showing up out of nowhere after they  _ thought _ it was dead, and Kat, soft-hearted fool that they were, acting like it wasn’t a damn beast that needed to be put down! They’d made their anger very clear, but Kat refused to listen to reason, it seemed.

And here they were, sitting here with that demon, giving it a new name. 

No, that wasn’t Grey. It was  _ Nihil _ . It had always been Nihil.

They’d been standing there, stewing in their own juices- as much as they wanted to lash out, something about Kat’s mere presence, even while they were behaving in such an infuriating manner, always made them unable to bring themself to. God, they were  _ too _ soft sometimes.

Kat turned back towards Tristan, staring for a moment before sighing. “Alright,” they started, turning back to Grey for a moment. “Me and Tristan need to discuss something. We’ll be right back.”

With that, they got up, grabbed Tristan by the wrist with uncharacteristic force, and practically dragged them into the other room. 

“Tristan,” Kat began as soon as they’d shut the door behind them. “I understand why you’re mad-”

_ “Do you?!” _ Tristan snapped back, though even mad at Kat as they were, they found themself instinctively obeying their warning glare to quiet down. “Kat, do you  _ really _ understand what we’re dealing with here?! That’s the demon that ruined so many lives! They ripped apart Eddie, they tortured Paula, they- they-” they vaguely gestured at Kat, unable to even say what happened  _ there, _ “- they killed me  _ dozens of times! _ And you’re just treating them like an innocent child?!”

“That’s because they  _ are.” _ Kat asserted, composed compared to Tristan’s frantic fury.

“But-”

“I gave you your chance to speak, now give me mine.”

That was enough to silence Tristan as Kat continued. “You  _ saw _ them, Tristan. They’re terrified. They don’t remember having done anything wrong. Or… or anything at all. They weren’t themself when they did... all that.” They paused, noting the subtle shift in Tristan’s body language that anyone else would miss. They were getting through to them, in a way they knew no one else would be able to. “Hating them for what they did would be like… like hating Cardi, or…” They took a deep breath and paused. “O-or  _ me _ .”

The air went deadly still for several seconds with the terrible reminder Kat dropped. Tristan averted their gaze, wringing their hands together awkwardly, feeling a bit like a child whose mother had just caught them sneaking from the cookie jar.

“I just…” Tristan piped up. “I don’t want you to get hurt again. Or Paula, or Eddie, or anyone else. What if it happens again?” They buried their head in their hands, letting out a choked sob at the mere thought. “If they hurt you again, I’d never forgive myself…”

Kat sighed sadly, and without a word, stepped forward and took Tristan into their arms. The smaller square nuzzled into their shoulder, hands wrapping around their dear friend.

“I understand. You’re scared. Anyone would be, if they were in a situation like yours. But they’re just as afraid of you as you are of them.” They pulled themself out of the hug for just a moment to put their hands on Tristan’s shoulders and look them in the eyes.

“Please. Just give them a chance.”

Tristan let out a huff that was clearly trying to be a laugh, and shook their head slowly.

“Curse you, Kat. Why can’t I say no to you?”

Kat smiled and wiped away a tear that had formed in Tristan’s eyes, before pulling them back in.

Why was Kat the only one that could calm them down so easily?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how did this turn into fluff

**Author's Note:**

> I love this game. So much. Too much. I have so many headcanons. I have so many thoughts. I have so many emotions.


End file.
